FOREIGN MINISTER DISMISSES U.S. MISSILE DEFENSE NAME
CHANGE... After earlier saying that President George W.
Bush's dropping of the word "national" before missile defense
could be "a nuance" that would provide an opening for talks,
Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said in Stockholm on 9
March that a statement by U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald
Rumsfeld that the term "national" will not be used with the
missile defense system does not change the essence of the
concept, Interfax reported. PG
...OUTLINES MOSCOW'S IDEAS FOR START-III TALKS... Foreign
Minister Ivanov said Moscow is prepared to discuss tactical
nuclear arms during future strategic arms reduction talks and
proposes that Russia and the United States agree not to base
nuclear weapons on any territories but their own, ITAR-TASS
reported on 9 March. He suggested that this would be "a very
important step in the interests of stability and confidence."
PG
...AND REGRETS LACK OF RESPONSE TO MOSCOW'S IDEAS ON OSCE.
Foreign Minister Ivanov on 9 March in Stockholm also
expressed regret that other members of the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have not responded
to his 8 January proposals calling for the OSCE to focus on
broader security issues and work more efficiently, ITAR-TASS
reported. In January, Ivanov said that the OSCE focuses too
much on human rights issues and not enough on security issues
(see "RFE/RL Newsline," 10 January 2001). PG
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